August 21, 2025

  • Walmart slightly improved its EPS from $0.67 in fiscal Q2 2025 to $0.68 in fiscal Q3 2026, but fell short of analyst expectations. Meanwhile, it delivered a sales beat, reporting $177.4 billion for the quarter versus $169.3 billion the year prior — beating analyst projections of $176.16 billion (via Chain Store Age).
  • Dollar General has named previous DG c-suite veteran Donny Lau to the posts of EVP and CFO. Lau had served Dollar General as senior VP of finance and chief strategy officer in the past (via Chain Store Age).
  • Target is facing criticism over its installation of new CEO Michael Fiddelke, who rose through the ranks at the retailer to become COO previous to his appointment. Analysts claim an external CEO hire would have been preferable to reboot the company’s performance issues (via Reuters).
  • Generative AI traffic to retail sites is up a whopping 4,700% YoY as of July, according to Adobe data. That statistic is up from a 1,300% YoY increase spanning Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024 (via Forbes).
  • Sony will be raising the price of its Playstation 5 console by $50 in response a slow recovery in the video game market as well as ongoing tariff pressures (via CNN Business).
  • Cracker Barrel stock plunged in morning trading, seemingly in response to a revision of its logo which omits both the man and the barrel. Analysts suggest that the move “risks confusing its customers with a rebrand,” in conjunction with ongoing restaurant remodels (via CNN Business).
  • Bed Bath & Beyond will not be opening nor operating stores within the state of California. Executive Chairman Marcus Lemonis cited higher taxes, fees, wages, and “endless regulations that strangle growth” as motivators for the decision (via FOX Business).
  • Chipotle has teamed up with Zipline to test drone delivery. Those in the Dallas area can avail of “Zipotle” delivery via early access capabilities in the Zipline app (via CNBC).
  • Spirit Halloween is making a significant investment to make shopping its brick-and-mortar locations more immersive. Debuting the “Madison Scare Park” subway platform, complete with new, more technically intricate animatronics, the retailer hopes for another strong sales season (via Chain Store Age).